Why do we get stressed?

Everyone feels stressed at times. But there are periods
in our lives when we feel particularly overwhelmed with tension. And during
these periods we can feel really awful and have highly unpleasant stress
symptoms to deal with.

This is the first of three articles to help you to
understand the stresses in your life – and deal with them.

Studies on stress in the workplace

Studies have shown that the most stressful occupations in
Britain are: the prison service, the police, social work and teaching – closely
followed by a whole range of NHS jobs, including nursing and
doctoring.

In addition, there's the massive problem of ‘post-traumatic
stress’, which is common in certain occupations. For instance, in 2009, many
cases of post-traumatic stress disorder are being seen in Britain’s armed
forces.

In general terms, many experts believe that most stress in the
UK occurs because of our long hours culture.

In February 2007, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) reported that
the average employee does almost an extra day’s work (seven hours) per week in
overtime.

And in many offices, individuals are working far longer hours –
notably in accounting, advertising, law, IT, public relations and
broadcasting.

So does this long hours culture matter when we think about
stress?

Long hours and stress

Long hours on the job may be viewed by some employers as a way
of getting more work done. But in the longer term the consequences of this work
pattern appears to be that it:

increases sickness absences

increases workplace stress

has serious health and safety implications

contributes to low morale in the organisation.

All this means is, we need to look carefully at our lifestyles
to try to limit the amount of stress we're suffering.

What happens to us physically when we're stressed?

We are all born with an instinctive stress response.

Whenever a potentially dangerous situation arises, stress
hormones are released into our bloodstream.

They cause instant mental and physical change in us, giving
added strength and endurance, and make us feel pumped-up and ready to
fight.

Stress hormones also enable us to run away much faster than we
could normally manage.

This response is generally called the 'fight or flight
syndrome'.

The fight or flight syndrome was vital when we used to live in
the wild and were liable to attack from other tribes or wild animals. We still
use it today.

Suppose someone tried to snatch your child while you were
shopping.

Your mouth would go dry, your hands sweaty, your heart would
pound and you'd feel terror-stricken. But you'd probably also find yourself
filled with strength and determination, and think nothing of screaming and
thumping the assailant until he let go.

Your automatic response would be to fight, and, with luck, it
would save the day.

If you saw a bull coming towards you, your instinct would be to
run away. Your stress hormones would help you to run faster than normal until
you were out of danger.

So, if this stress response is so terrific, what's the problem?

Over-active stress hormones

Instead of using these stress hormones in emergencies, we are
now living at such a pace that we activate them all the time – like when we are
going to miss a train or can't get onto the Internet, or we worry about
finishing a report at work.

Our stress hormones get most of us as fired-up as sprinters
crouched and waiting for the starting-gun.

Unlike athletes, most tense people don't get the release of the
race itself. Nor do they give their bodies and minds sufficient time and space
to rest after each stress-filled moment.

With no release, stress hormones keep on working, which is why
there are so many people around who lose their tempers at the slightest
provocation, or who show signs of road rage, supermarket-trolley rage and so
on.

Women and stress

A US study by Professor Shelley Taylor found that women cope
with stress better than men because of their female hormones.

Professor Taylor believes that in history women often didn't
have the option to fight or flee because they were frequently pregnant or
encumbered by small children.

Instead, women developed a more suitable strategy, which was to
'tend and befriend'. So a woman would look after children and do what she could
to keep them safe, but she would also enlist help from a female
friend.

The key to this behaviour was, and is, a female hormone called
oxytocin. Professor Taylor's team believe it is this difference that accounts
for women seeking out other women to talk to when the going gets
tough.

Whether or not you go along with all of this, far more women
than men discuss their stresses with a friend.

However, there are an awful lot of women who are incapacitated
by severe stress and who are suffering exactly the same sort of stress-related
symptoms that we see in men.

So how can we deal with stress?

We can make changes, so that our lives are not so stressful and
learn how to
deal with stress.

We can learn
stress management
techniques, so that we can deal with the parts of our stressful lives
that simply cannot be changed at that time.

Other articles in this series

Dawn Matchik (Thu, 22 Sep 2011 21:18:29 +0200): heath issues that start because of everyday lifestyles my smokeing and an lack of knowledge have made me unaware how just even taking that one hour a day for only me has caused my hyperthyroidrism stress was a big factor please take the time to take care of u this dose not make u selfish. be a computer train yr brain! if u want to live long learn to live life.the brain is the ket just as this computer is to most of us.take the time for you make u unselfish if u let yr self go well that is unloving there for who if not you can you then love.

Adrien Rassat (Sun, 26 Feb 2012 14:31:36 +0100): I am always stressed! after school I just feel depressed and sad and stressed...

Nancy James (Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:40:33 +0100): I find if I Release my stressful feeling to Jesus, they evaporate away. I simply say, "Jesus I release my fear, my anxiety, racing heart to you. Calm me. Fill me with YOUR PEACE." I ask for Holy Spirit's Peace, which is not the peace that the world has to give, but a different peace. Jesus said, "My peace I give to you as a FREE Gift & ANYone can ask him for his gift.

Kay Beard (Wed, 04 Dec 2013 18:49:26 +0100): i have just had heart attack due to a relationship split , and looseing my job and moveing lol in debt , will i get another one if i dont calm down , woried about money as not working ,

Cordell Harris (Thu, 02 Jan 2014 23:19:02 +0100): Stress often comes from outside of ourselves, other people, time factors, time deadlines mostly those things we can not truly change without having another effect on something else in our lives.
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